In my opinion, this is the best of the Donna Andrews bird-themed mysteries -- or at least, the one that stands alone best. Sure, there is a lot of development of the story of Meg and Michael and their romance and their respective families. But you don't have to have read the others to enjoy this one (I have tested this theory successfully with a few people) and it is one of the most enjoyable looks at the world of sci-fi/fantasy conventions that you could ever imagine.

I had picked this up along with a variety of other books thinking I might give it away at a local book festival, but I found a better placement for it.

"A book is a mysterious object, I said, and once it floats out into the world, anything can happen. All kinds of mischief can be caused, and there's not a damned thing you can do about it. For better or worse, it's completely out of your control." -- Paul Auster

Bound for Scotland and someone who has only just discovered Donna Andrews' books. I haven't read all of them yet, but so far I think this is one of the best, and the most likely to stand alone. May you laugh as hard as I did!

Awfully pleased 6of8 another of your DONNA ANDREWS books has arrived. Been away, now back - only a few hours ago - and in the interim WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE PARROTS successfully broached the magical portal at my flat and was awaiting my return! Hurrah for the postie I say! I then nipped out to the monthly Edinburgh BookCrossing meeting and made this catch journal entry the day after its arrival. A kind RABCK, many thanks, rainbow3

PS I already have another reader lined up for this! GRIN!

Started reading this, I use BookCrossing as a book-log so include book details in my journal entries, hence the following notes.
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WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE PARROTS (Meg Langslow Mysteries) by DONNA ANDREWS (2004)
ISBN: 9780312996758 (USA Mass Mkt PB)
Publisher: Minotaur Books

Cover: Meg Langslow knew the fan convention for her actor-boyfriend’s hit television series was going to be the ultimate in weird. But she came along because she figured Michael could use an occasional dose of sanity - and because it was an inspired place to sell her hand-crafted weapons. And she was dealing pretty well with the costumed fans camped outside, the batch of escaped parrots and monkeys frolicking throughout the hotel … and the minefield of egos lurking behind the show’s success.

But soon after Meg goes head-to-head with egomaniacal series star Tammerlaine Wynncliffe-Jones, the “Queen B” turns up brutally murdered. Now, with Michael in the running as prime suspect, Meg will go up against an all-star cast of not-even-innocent parties, hidden identities, and buried motives. And she’ll cross swords with a deviously obsessed murderer determined to write her out of this picture for good.

Laughter, more laughter, we need laughter, so Donna Andrews is giving us We'll Always Have Parrots… to help us survive February.” –Washington Times

Finally a review…it’s a perfect pip but looks like I forgot to add this to these records before my hols…

Somehow I can just imagine fan conventions being just like this, well possibly minus a real corpse, of course. Amused by the way the whacky notes contrasted wonderfully well with Meg’s down-to-earth qualities, I again found myself really appreciating the cheerful sensitivity Meg and Michael show each other. A delightfully silly amusement from Donna Andrews a warm chortle worthy read perhaps rather than a holding-my-sore-side- weak-with-laughter read that Andrews’s Crouching Buzzard Leaping Loon offered me. Yet indeed I’m happy to have read my second of Andrews bird-themed mystery series I will keep my eyes on alert for more. Keeping that in mind I note with pleasure - there’s more for We'll Always Have Parrots… is fifth in line of an eighteen strong series, to date, in 2014.

Huge thanks again to 6of8, and the fun continues as this is to travel to my sister. Get the whole family BookCrossing that’s what I suggest! (Bit torn about that now as I have remembered there is a hand-crafted ‘edged-weapons’ studio near my flat and who knows, this may have amused the owner as a themed release? Hey, ho!)

At last…I am updating (some of the last of) my BC records for my SOMERSET HOLIDAY RELEASE PROJECT with this controlled, journal release.

Actually We'll Always Have Parrots was handed to my sister - bookcrosser Flutterbies9 – at the end of the grand June/July Somerset visit that my mother and I made. Lots to do and see, no single visit could hope to go anywhere near covering the myriad of venues and activities on offer. We did manage visits to The Bishops Palace, Wells and Wells Cathedral, Kilver Court gardens, Wells and Glastonbury markets, some venues full of Arts and Crafts treasures, Ham Wall Reserve an rspb site (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) with its excellent board walk which so ably provided even ground for mum’s wheeled walking aid, Barrington Court (a National Trust for England property) and spent time in Flutterbie9’s garden watching butterflies birds and bats.

It was all good, huge fun thanks for your wonderful hospitality all! Cheers (with the volume of a Glastonbury Music Festival loud crowd) to all the Flutterbies9 Crew, cats and all!

Brilliant title. A wonderfully delightful, easily read tale of whimsy and plotline murder! This is the first time I have read Donna Andrews and so it was a fairly appropriate start for me to dive into this book.

The setting of the convention and its hotel venue was inspired and added to the unreality of the whole scenario. Strangely, I was half way through this when I realised who the murderer was (and then kept thinking that maybe I was wrong until later in the book) but nonetheless enjoyed the process of uncovering the culprit and the disorganised chaos of getting there. It was one of those books that you can keep reading and suddenly find yourself at the end of with the majority of the loose ends tied up but not realising that you were coming to the end when you did.

A warm and cosy murder with a warm and cuddly, for the most part, amateur sleuth makes a crime a very easy summer time read. Great fun!

As yet, I have no destination for the two of these that I have but I'll think of something after I search the wishes, so meantime in available.

To join the Book Box on its way.

Happy further travels little book!

Taken from Plum-Crazy's Cosy Murder Mystery bookbox. Really enjoyed the two of this series I've read so looking forward to this one.

The 5th in the Meg Langslow mystery series. This time Meg is at a convention for fans of a dreadful fantasy show her boyfriend is appearing in, and since the entire cast and crew hate the star/producer, when she's murdered there is no shortage of suspects. Entertaining.

Runner Up for the Agatha Award Best Novel.

Put into the Prize Winners Bookbox.

I hope the next reader enjoys it! :)

Taken from Plum-crazy's "Prize Winners" Book Box, as my TBR is huge it may take me a while to get to this.

An enjoyable light read, it took me a long time to spot the murderer and had lots of moments that made me smile :-)

Going into HerbertLooby's light reads bookbox.

For the 12 days of Christmas exchange. Geese are hard so you've ended up with things vaguely bird related!

Thanks for all the awesome vaguely bird related books!

Been in my TBR pile for a while, being released in a box of books to a fellow bookcrosser.

Received in a very generous parcel from mysteriousmummy to top up my local Little Free Library.

Set free in the Little Free Library. Happy reading!